Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-16
settlement and sold to actusl

for settlement and sold to actual
settlers only under the pro
visions of this act" Stsntirg this
law up beside the iscts snd your adms-
sions, Fl frankly say thst an unable to
/ see where the Commissioner gets the aU-
/ thOrity )r the discretion !! nc should
| dare TO exercise Il under such Circum-
stances to Lessee out these lands in IN
limited quantities on terms to suit the
lessee, not to exceed the laws maximum
CT five years. Under date OF August >,
| you wrote letter TO q citizen C this
county in which these words occur: "a
unsold or unleased lands are subject to
lease. l enclose you blanks 10 Jesse
under the new Isw. Apply for what
! you Want.n Would il no. lie
more in consonaLce with the
letter and spirit of the taW to have within
him something after this manner: CAP
ply for what you want and accompany
your application with suCa evidence as
you nave to the effect TIA! the lands you
apply for are not in immediate
demard for purposes of settlement. l
will then determine whether they are sub
ject 10 lease"
I an aware Of the severe penalty i'm
posed by section ! s of the law upon those
VINO ''fenCe, use, occupy or appropriate,
| by herding or iinG-riding" any OF these
fands, and expect the Governor
TO rigidly enforce IT. Most
OF the fences erected around
these lands were put there by trespassers
in open defiance Of law prohibiting it,
before the enactment CT the present law
The Legislature was fully cognizaNt Of
this fact st the time the act passed, which
explains why this provision occurs in sec
ton 20 Of the law: Gan enclosures Of
or fences upon any Of the pubic lands or
the lands belonging to the public free
school, asylum or university funds, with
out lawful authority, shall be removed
within sixty days from the time this set
shall take effect" Ii the Con-
missioner refuses TO Iegse suy land
because of the demand for
settlement, as he should do, the trespasser
should be made tC suf~r the penalty, in
case he refuses TO remove his fenc2
within the period liked by the law. This
is the intention of the l.w. There is no
penalty for merely permitting stock to
Craze on these lands, hence there need
be no ruthless destruction of the cattle
/ interests OF Texas by enforcing one part
OF wise and lust law" The Legisla-
tUtE never lutSlNSQ W nun JIG LuS Nl-s ulLJ
OF the state for the protection of defiant
trespasser at the sacrifice of the settlement
and development of the richest portion
CT the state. No such concessions were
made ty the friends Of the bill while il
wss under consideration in the Legisla-
ture. II, indeed, such had been done it
never could have passed IN any shspe.
If the policy of leasing sll lands
applied for, whether occupied or unoccu-
pied, agricultural or pasture lands, be
adopted in open violation of these plain
aud explicit provisions, how are the peo-
Pile to receive il? Perhaps the 1900, 900
sores leased in thirty days, which you
allude to with SC much pride, may tend
to satisfy those who are unac-
quainted with the true situation. But
the man with the plow and the hoe in
the west, will return 70 MS lonely Dug
out, and with sad countenancer will
count the broken pledges and disre-
garded promises Of the powers that be,
and wonder how long this state Of affairs
is so continue. Very respectfuIlq,
/